Embark on an interactive journey and dive into the art and science of focus group facilitation. Our session covers key aspects like script creation, exercise selection, handling of group dynamics, and injecting a dash of excitement. Through hands-on activities and spirited discussions, we’ll engage in focus group activities and dissect practical examples (yes, they really happened!). Walk away equipped with a deeper understanding of focus group dynamics, tangible skills applicable for your next group, AND an approach for developing facilitation skills in others!

“Focus groups provide an excellent opportunity to listen to the voices of students, explore issues in depth, and obtain insights that might not occur without the discussion they provide.” (Palomba & Banta, 1999, p.196-7)

As the quote above highlights, focus groups have served as invaluable tools in higher education and student affairs assessment for more than 25 years. They enable housing and residence life professionals to tap into the lived experiences of students, explore complex issues, and unearth insights that other methods might miss.

A multitude of textbooks have described the approach and laid out the important issues (e.g. Hall, 2020; Katz-Buonincontro, 2022; Morgan 1996). Building upon these foundations, student affairs assessment websites attest to the enduring importance and value of focus groups. Amidst the praise, one critical factor consistently emerges: the indispensable role of a skilled moderator.

Moderating may appear easy at first glance. Housing and residence life professionals routinely facilitate group discussions as part of their work, and many people possess interviewing and listening skills. Yet, moderating a focus group demands a unique blend of abilities. Moderators serve as script writers, facilitators, and researchers all at the same time. Unlike one-on-one interviewing, the moderator needs to simultaneously connect with a variety of participants, understand and manage group dynamics and discussion, and cover a script of topics and activities within a limited timeframe. The moderator impacts not only the session itself but also the ultimate usefulness of the data. Consequently, the role is complex and inherently challenging.

Although the books and websites describe the role, professionals often have limited experience or training in focus group facilitation. Even people experienced with facilitation benefit from a focused conversation and can expand their skills and gain fresh perspectives. Therefore, this session will fill those needs - focus group facilitation and hands-on experiences with it.

Specifically, this session will focus on the facilitation aspect of focus groups - who to choose, how to develop a script, the actual facilitation process, as well as common pitfalls that moderators encounter. Also, culturally responsive approaches to focus group facilitation will be discussed.